Strategies for Sustainable Sugarcane Health and Productivity

A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Farming Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 February 2026 | Viewed by 627

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, 302 Life Sciences Building, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA
Interests: sugarcane pathology and epidemiology

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, Dean Lee Research Station, 8105 Tom Bowman Drive, Alexandria, LA 71302, USA
Interests: sugarcane production; fertilizer application; nutrient management
1. National Engineering Research Center for Sugarcane, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
2. Xianghu Laboratory, Hangzhou 311231, China
Interests: sugarcane-legume intercropping; continuous cropping; sugarcane rhizosphere microorganisms; nitrogen fertilizer management

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
National Engineering Research Center for Sugarcane, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
Interests: sugarcane breeding and genetics; biotechnology; molecular biology; virology; agronomy; stress physiology; transcription factors; genome sequencing; multi-omics; gene functional analysis; transgenic plants
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Sugarcane agroecosystems face multifaceted challenges that include disease outbreaks, suboptimal nutrient management, and climate-driven yield instability; meanwhile, diseases like rusts, smuts, and mosaic remain persistent threats. Emerging research has highlighted how integrated crop management—encompassing disease surveillance, precision fertilization, soil health optimization, and climate-resilient farming practices—can synergistically enhance productivity and sustainability.

This special issue of Agronomy, entitled “Innovative Strategies for Sustainable Sugarcane Health and Productivity”, invites multidisciplinary contributions addressing both biotic and abiotic stressors. Submissions may explore pathogen diagnostics, rhizosphere–microbe interactions, host resistance breeding, precision nutrient delivery systems, regenerative soil practices, and data-driven decision tools for disease and fertility management. We particularly encourage studies on climate-smart interventions, such as biofertilizer-based disease suppression synergies, rootzone microbiome engineering, and AI-driven models integrating disease risk with fertilizer efficacy. By bridging disease control, agronomic innovation, and ecosystem resilience, this Special Issue aims to advance scalable solutions for global sugarcane systems, empowering growers to navigate evolving environmental and economic pressures.

Dr. André Bueno Gama
Dr. Saulo Castro
Dr. Ziqin Pang
Prof. Dr. San-Ji Gao
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • sugarcane diseases
  • disease management
  • precision agriculture
  • rhizosphere microbiome
  • integrated crop management
  • resistance breeding
  • AI-driven predictive modeling
  • pathogen surveillance

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

27 pages, 4728 KB  
Article
Sugarcane–Peanut Intercropping Enhances Farmland Productivity: A Multi-Omics Investigation into the Coordination of Zinc Homeostasis and Hormonal Signaling
by Siqi Chen, Xiang Guo, Yongmei Zhou, Xiao Wang, Tao Wang, Tengfei Li, Peiwu Li, Zhaonian Yuan and Ziqin Pang
Agronomy 2025, 15(11), 2510; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15112510 - 29 Oct 2025
Viewed by 50
Abstract
Intercropping triggers coordinated changes in gene expression and metabolite accumulation across sugarcane roots, stems, and leaves, leading to higher crop yields—an effect that has drawn growing attention. Yet, how this transcriptional and metabolic interplay precisely enhances productivity remains poorly understood, limiting insight into [...] Read more.
Intercropping triggers coordinated changes in gene expression and metabolite accumulation across sugarcane roots, stems, and leaves, leading to higher crop yields—an effect that has drawn growing attention. Yet, how this transcriptional and metabolic interplay precisely enhances productivity remains poorly understood, limiting insight into intercropping’s yield-promoting mechanisms. This research explored the relationships between sugarcane, its metabolites, and transcriptomes through field trials integrated with multi-omics analysis. Data from the field showed clear differences in gene expression and metabolite patterns between monoculture and intercropped sugarcane. Plants under intercropping displayed stronger differential gene expression, greater metabolite diversity, and shifts in physiological traits. Metabolite variation was closely linked to gene regulation and network complexity, which in turn affected key agricultural characteristics including plant height, stem thickness, and sugar content. Follow-up experiments confirmed that applying zinc—a element boosted by intercropping—improved growth in monoculture sugarcane and modified its hormonal composition. These results highlight the important role of coordinated transcriptome-metabolite activity in intercropping systems. The study provides valuable perspectives for making intensive farming more economical and sustainable, supporting efforts to raise crop output and improve ecosystem functions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Strategies for Sustainable Sugarcane Health and Productivity)
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